I get the weekly influenza surveillance report from the New York State Department of Health. Sometimes I don’t look at it, but this week I opened it, much to my surprise.
The flu cases for the 2022-23 season in New York state have exceeded are now 1.66 times the whole of 2021-22, 36 times more than 2020-21, and 1.3 times more than the 2019-2020 flu seasons.
Source: New York DOHThe flu season is from October 8 to May 20 the following year (32 weeks). We are only eleven weeks into the 2022-23 season, and I expect the flu cases to keep rising.
That’s because the flu season has not peaked yet. According to the CDC, influenza cases usually peak in February.
Influenza Virus Variants
The vast majority of the circulating Influenza variants are Influenza A (H3N2) and (H1N1). These strains are not new. Influenza B infections go up later in the season.
New York State Influenza Hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized people with influenza is also much higher and earlier this year compared to the previous three seasons.
Patients with the flu get hospitalized if they develop influenza pneumonia or meningitis, have worsening cardiopulmonary disease (e.g., COPD, asthma, coronary artery disease, or heart failure), or are too weak to recover at home.
Influenza in the USA 2022-23
Influenza cases are also high in the rest of the US. In the latest CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report on December 23, 2022.
- CDC estimates that, so far this season, there have been at least 18 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 deaths from flu.
- The cumulative hospitalization rate in the FluSurv-NET system was more than 6 times higher than the highest cumulative in-season hospitalization rate observed for week 50 during previous seasons going back to 2010-2011.
Influenza-like illnesses (ILI)
The CDC defines influenza-like illnesses as fever (temperature of 100°F [37.8°C] or greater) and a cough and/or a sore throat without a known cause other than influenza.
The figure below compares the number of Respiratory Illnesses by season in the USA. The 2022-23 season went up earlier and far surpasses all the previous years.
Influenza Hospitalization – USA
Hospitalization is also at a record-breaking high for the whole USA this year compared to previous years from 2014.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus infections are also increased. I discussed that in COVID-19: A Risk Factor for RSV
There are more charts on the CDC and New York state DOH websites, but I guess you have the idea now that more people are getting sick with viral infections.
Why are the flu cases so high?
I have not seen an explanation on why this flu season is worse than previous ones. that new influenza variants are more transmissible. Are the higher number of flu cases from a deterioration of the population’s immune system?
The are many possible explanations.
Reduced Type I Interferon Response
One paper by Stephanie Seneff of MIT, Dr. Peter McCullogh, and others stated that the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could reduce the Type I interferon response leading to impaired antiviral protection and increasing the vulnerability to other viral infections. [1]
The COVID shots could also increase brain deterioration, demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, liver disease, Bell’s palsy, and cancer spread. [1]
Their graphical abstract is presented below.
Reprogrammed Immune Responses
A preprint study by multiple authors from the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, Hannover Medical School, and the University of Bonn in Germany showed that the Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine could reprogram both adaptive and innate immune responses.[2]
In their research the BNT162b2 vaccine modulated the production of inflammatory cytokines by innate immune cells upon stimulation with both specific (SARS-CoV-2) and non-specific (viral, fungal, and bacterial) stimuli.”
The response of innate immune cells to TLR4 and TLR7/8 ligands was also lower after BNT162b2 vaccination.
I mentioned that paper to explain why RSV cases are higher after COVID-19 and its “vaccines.”
COVID-19: A Risk Factor for RSV
Short-lived blood stem cells
Immune blood cells come from stem cells. A study by Estep et al. showed that the stem cells from the babies’ umbilical cords of mothers who recovered from COVID-19 and those who had the COVID jabs have short-lived stem cells.[3]
The stem cells were decreased because the changes they found in the genes related to the interferon-gamma signaling pathways were responsible.
The negative effect of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins on the longevity of stem cells is supported by two other pieces of research.[4], [5]
Parting Thoughts
In summary, influenza cases are alarmingly high in New York State and the USA. Previous COVID-19 and the spike proteins produced after the COVID injections could play a significant role.
We have 21 more weeks of flu to go. It is essential to strengthen the immune system to protect against viral infections.
- Nasal Povidone Iodine Works Great for the Prevention and Early Treatment of COVID-19!
- Povidone Iodine Works Great for the Prevention and Early Treatment of COVID-19!
- 6 Ways Exercise Protects against Infections
- Echinacea for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Respiratory Infections and COVID-19
- Melatonin’s Multiple Actions Against COVID-19
- Nigella Sativa or Black Seed, Black Cumin for COVID-19
- The anti-COVID-19 properties of Quercetin
- Adequate Vitamin D Prevents Severe COVID-19
- Aerobic exercise, Telomere Length, and COVID-19
- Vitamin C and COVID-19
- Any Science behind Elderberry for Influenza and COVID-19?
- Zinc Deficiency Impairs the Immune System
- Vitamin B1 or Thiamine in Infections
- The I-PREVENT COVID Protection Protocol
- Ivermectin is Effective against the Influenza and a Cold Virus In Vitro
Don’t Get Sick!
Knowledge about Covid-19 is rapidly evolving. Stay current by subscribing. Feel free to share and like.
If you find value in this article, you can buy me a coffee!
References:
- Seneff S, Nigh G, Kyriakopoulos AM, McCullough PA. Innate immune suppression by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations: The role of G-quadruplexes, exosomes, and MicroRNAs. Food Chem Toxicol. 2022 Jun;164:113008. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2022.113008. Epub 2022 Apr 15. PMID: 35436552; PMCID: PMC9012513.
- The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 reprograms both adaptive and innate immune responses.
- Estep, B et al. Skewed fate and hematopoiesis of CD34+ HSPCs in umbilical cord blood amid the COVID-19 pandemic. iScience. VOLUME 25, ISSUE 12, 105544, DECEMBER 22, 2022
- Ropa, J., Cooper, S., Capitano, M. et al. Human Hematopoietic Stem, Progenitor, and Immune Cells Respond Ex Vivo to SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. Stem Cell Rev and Rep 17, 253–265 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-020-10056-z
- Kucia, M., Ratajczak, J., Bujko, K. et al. An evidence that SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19 spike protein (SP) damages hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in the mechanism of pyroptosis in Nlrp3 inflammasome-dependent manner. Leukemia 35, 3026–3029 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-021-01332-z
© 2018 – 2022 Asclepiades Medicine, LLC. All Rights Reserved
DrJesseSantiano.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.